Pick a shallow friend and deepen via 3 of Aron's 36 questions.

Replace the rote "how are you" with "what was the best part of your week?".

In some cultures "yes" means "I heard", not "I agree" — ask explicitly.

Before asking a high-context colleague for something, reshape your direct ask into a polite hint.

Before reading a colleague's silence in a meeting, ask: is it thinking, respect, or deferred refusal?